Cleveland police searching for man accused of broadcasting killing on Facebook Live

A Cleveland police officer.
(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

A manhunt is underway in Cleveland for a suspect who police say murdered an elderly man and streamed it on Facebook Live.

Police have identified the suspect as Steve Stephens, and they said the video of the shooting was up on Facebook for nearly three hours before it was removed. Police say Stephens is considered armed and dangerous; he is 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighs 240 pounds, and was last seen wearing a dark-striped polo shirt and in either a white or cream-colored SUV, and anyone who sees him should call 911 immediately.

Police say Stephens claimed in a second Facebook Live stream that he murdered several other people, saying he snapped and "messed up," Cleveland.com reports. Authorities said they have not verified any additional homicides or found any other victims. A spokesperson for Facebook called the incident a "horrific crime," adding that the company "does not allow this kind of content on Facebook." Stephens' Facebook page has been deactivated.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.